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10 Tried and True Language Learning Tips
Posted by Kelly Doscher on June 1, 2012 | Tagged as: English, Free lessons, language learning
by Kelly Doscher
When I was studying French at The University of Washington there were
a lot of times that I’d get so stuck or frustrated with the process that I had
to get crafty to get through the hard times. I picked up a few tricks here
and there that really helped me conquer the challenges of learning a
new language. Here are the Top 10 Tricks I found to be the most
effective.
1. Look it up . . . then down, then up again
When looking up a word in the dictionary, I’d study it, and then I’d learn
the three words above it and the three words below it. This not only
expanded my vocabulary but it demonstrated different versions of the
same word—like run, running, and ran.
2. Read your movies
I watched French movies with the subtitles in French. It bends the mind a bit (OK, a lot!), but hearing and reading the words
at the same time helped solidify their meaning in my brain. Watching French flicks this way also helped me learn inflection
and the cadence of the language much more effectively than just reading it out of a textbook or listening to my professors.
3. Watch the news
One of the class requirements in our department was to watch television news broadcasts online. This was an especially
challenging and effective way to apply what we were learning in the classroom because the language was spoken in a
rapid-fire, proper fashion that required us to pay attention.
4. Google it
I had a professor give me a great tip for checking my grammar while writing papers: Copy and paste a sentence or phrase
that you’re uncertain of into the Google search box. If what you’ve written comes up in the search results, your grammar
and spelling are correct. If it doesn’t, a version of what you’ve written that’s more appropriate may appear. If nothing is
found, you need to rethink what you’re saying. (I even used this trick while writing this post.)
5. Read children’s books
When I was first getting started in my studies, I found that reading children’s books was a good way to gain exposure to the
language in practice. The stories are easy to follow, and more often than not there are pictures to help the reader
understand the context. The added benefit of reading children’s books is that you’ll likely read a book that’s part of the
fabric of that culture. (In my case I read Le Petit Prince and the Madeline series a lot.)
6. Eat the food!
Learning a new language isn’t just about the words, it’s also about learning the culture of places where the language is
predominantly spoken. One of the best ways to learn about a culture is to eat its food. Learn the history of any dish and
you’ll learn a lot about the people who created it—if they were poor, if they were nomadic, or if they were just plain
resourceful.
7. Sing along
I’m such a Frenchie that it was easy for me to want to sing along with Edith Piaf and Jaques Brel. Find some popular music
in your target language, get the lyrics, and belt it out! (YouTube is a great resource for this.)
8. Follow your interests
If you have a hobby, find publications or television shows that focus on it. For instance, when I lived in Paris, I stumbled
upon a vintage cookbook store. Let me tell you . . . my bags were very heavy coming home.
9. Talk, talk, talk
Find a place outside of the classroom to actually speak the language you’re learning. No matter how early on you are in
your learning process, exposure to the spoken language in person is the best way to internalize what you’re learning from
your textbook without traveling to a country where your target language is spoken. Practice on Livemocha or find a
conversation table where other learners and maybe even native speakers gather to chat. You’ll meet people with similar
interests and be encouraged by them. If you’re anything like me, you’ll feel intimidated at first and your brain will hurt at the
end, but it’ll be worth it! Look at your headache this way: you just grew gray matter!
10. Travel
If you can, go to a place where your target language is spoken. Be sure to learn some key words (please, thank you, and
I’m sorry are good places to start) and some simple etiquette to keep from being ignored, or worse, offending someone.
And then, go for it!
Do you have any tips to add?
What are some tips that have helped you? Share them here in the comments or log in or sign up to Livemocha and share
them with our worldwide community of language learners—aka your Language Partners!
Not a member of Livemocha? Register today and start learning!
Livemocha offers 35 languages and free online language learning, and it connects you with native speakers around the
world.
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